Doxycycline and Vomiting: What Users Say

• Pat...
• February 18, 2020

For Acne "I used this drug for annoying moderate acne. It started off weird. After 2-3 weeks, my skin looked like it was starting to clear up. It stayed like that for about a month. Then at the end of the 2nd month, my skin was the worst it’s ever been. Now, I think that was the purging stage because I stuck to taking it every day, twice, and now I’m in the middle of my third and last month taking it. My skin looks amazing and it’s the best it’s ever been. I would recommend this drug, but make sure you ride with it and trust it because it does take a while to see results."

• Kri...
• August 13, 2013

For Rosacea "I started taking doxycycline one month ago, and within 3 days, my acne and rosacea were gone, and it never came back. My doctor told me it would not help with the redness at all, but it did. I could honestly just cry. I am THAT happy with this medication. It also soothed my very dry eyes, which I think were due to the rosacea as well. Take note, however, that this stuff is REALLY hard on your stomach if you take it without eating. I get dizzy and dry heave. All in all, I want to hug my doxycycline because it changed my life."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2020

For Acne "I've been on this medication, doxycycline, for almost 4 months. The side effects were pretty brutal at the beginning (nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity), but now my body has adjusted to the medication. I have seen a major improvement in my skin. I'm not getting any breakouts or big pimples like I used to get before I started this medication. I'm taking this medication along with clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide, this combination has been great. Right now, I only have a few bumps on my forehead. I recommend eating before taking this medication, though :P"

• Lis...
• October 13, 2014

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I've been taking Doxycycline for a few days now for bronchitis/pneumonia. I take it twice a day. The dose in the morning makes me nauseous, and I vomited once. Other than the extreme list of interactions with food and other medications, I would take it again for my illness. It's potent and so far seems to be clearing up my lungs and sinuses!"

• Sta...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 17, 2014

For Bacterial Infection "This is the only medication that actually can clear the infections I get in my jaw and teeth. It works fast and really well, but the side effects can be unbearable at times. Extreme nausea and vomiting are the worst. The only way I've found to sometimes help with the vomiting is to take it with a meal, which works most of the time, but not always."

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2010

For Lyme Disease "I've been on doxycycline for about a week now for a bout of Lyme disease, and other than some moderate to severe drowsiness (which may be - and is - part of the disease, but does get more severe when I take the antibiotic) and being absolutely unable to take it on an empty stomach (to do so results in nausea and, in the worst case, vomiting), I have to say I'm feeling much better quite quickly. If taken with food, I have no side effects whatsoever. One of the best and most mild antibiotics I've had to take."

• Sup...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I had a bacterial infection, Ureaplasma Urealyticum, and was definitely hesitant to take this doxycycline pill due to the nasty reviews. The first time I took this medication, it was terrible, but that was because I took it on an empty stomach. It takes about 30 minutes to kick in, and if you haven't eaten, it will be miserable, but once I ate 30 minutes prior to taking each pill, I didn't experience any nausea or vomiting."

• Axe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I have a bad sinus infection, so I called my doc, whom I see weekly because of my BP, and they gave me this. Within 20 minutes of my first dose, the sinus pressure became beyond extreme, I became dizzy, extremely hot, sweaty (it’s cold where I live), and I blared my air conditioner, and I got so nauseous I puked. Now, after vomiting, it’s still intense, and I had to take a migraine pill and an anti-nausea pill. If you have a sinus infection, stick with the Amoxicillin clav. This pill IS AWFUL."

• ver...
• October 12, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "I took two pills. The second pill seemed to have been stuck in my chest about three hours after I took it. I had heartburn like I had never, ever had before. Then started nausea and vomiting for about 24 hours. Went to the ER, they said my esophagus was swollen and inflamed and gave me meds. Two days later, went to a digestive doctor, he said that pill is common for this. It has caused people to go through the same thing. It has been almost a week, with two visits to the ER and now an appointment set up to see an esophagus specialist. I am finally getting better. Hopefully this nightmare will be over soon. Just be cautious, this has been a bad experience for me."

• But...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2023

For Urinary Tract Infection "My doctor first prescribed nitrofurantoin. He sent my urine out to be cultured, and I had two bacteria in my urine. Nitrofurantoin only treated one of the bacteria in my urine. My doctor then prescribed doxycycline. The doxycycline got rid of my UTI and was great. The instructions say to take it with food, which is what I did. I didn’t have any nausea or vomiting."

• Anonymous
• January 9, 2015

For Acne "For those who are dealing with symptoms, make sure to take a full meal before you eat. For me, it eliminated the nausea completely. If I take it too long after I take the medication or don't eat, I'll either vomit or can barely move with nausea."

• Old...
• March 2, 2017

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I had an upper respiratory infection. It worked in clearing things up, but I experienced many side effects, which included nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, pressure in the head, and vomiting every time I took my prescription. I took my prescriptions with food and water and followed directions by the book. It seems to have many benefits, but some of the side effects are not fun to say the least."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2013

Doxycycline for Rosacea "Saw an improvement shortly after I started taking Oracea. Skin was smoother, and the nose area was not as bumpy, with fewer skin flare-ups caused lots of upset stomach. Several times, I took this medicine with water, and maybe 40 minutes later, I would throw up. Also, the medicine is very expensive."

• Cab...
• April 6, 2013

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "After being on doxycycline for 4 days, my lungs were clearing up from the upper respiratory infection, but I also started getting severe nausea and vomiting. I followed the directions to the letter. I had to call my doctor and get switched to a different medicine."

• Hor...
• February 10, 2017

For Acne "I'm 37, and I suffer from PCOS. I have been battling cystic acne since I was 25. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on meds, topical creams, different dermatologists, and even laser treatments that have become costly. Doxy is a quick fix, and as long as you're on it, it will work. However, coming off the meds, your skin will start to purge, so be prepared. I've been mixing the right vitamins, cutting out dairy, eating GF, and keeping my diet rich in lots of green leafy veggies and high protein. I also have to exercise at least three times a week. Taking probiotics is also extremely important. Don't exfoliate too much, and try to keep your cleansing regime simple. Hope this helps."

• acn...
• December 9, 2008

Doxycycline for Acne "This medicine is great. I have been using it for 2 months, and my face is pretty much cleared. I don't have to worry about having extremely oily skin anymore either. I have experienced nausea and vomited once, but that can be avoided if you take it immediately after a meal."

• Sly...
• January 20, 2015

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "Worked great for my upper respiratory infection. My doctor gave me a prescription of Zofran, and I took that first and waited about ten minutes before taking the antibiotic. It solved the nausea/vomiting side effect."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2013

For Urinary Tract Infection "I was prescribed 100 mg/2x a day for 7 days to treat pelvic pain/UTI. It worked, but a couple of days later, the UTI returned. The doctor prescribed a second week of 100 mg/2x a day for an additional week. During that week, I experienced fever, chills, severe headache, confusion, major nausea, and vomited twice. I went to Urgent Care tonight because it feels like a pill has been stuck burning my throat for 3 days. The Urgent Care doctor acknowledged swollen glands and raw, bright red throat and tested for mono and strep-both tests came back negative. So now I'm home, still in pain, without any answers, just a large medical bill. If you must take doxy, be aware of the possible side effects."

• Ale...
• June 29, 2016

Doxycycline for Rosacea "I am 16 years old, and my acne has been a problem for a little over 6 months. I was previously on Acticlate for about 2 months, which did not help my skin much and had terrible side effects like vomiting. My dermatologist switched me to Oracea 40 mg, and I was hopeful. The first week on it, my skin became so much worse, and I wanted to get off of it. However, after that first week, my skin began to clear up and now only has a few red spots. This medication works great, you just have to push through the first week and remember that things get worse before they get better. I also love Oracea because it has no side effects on me, which is great."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "On day 3 of 200 mg a day for 7 days for pneumonia, and I feel like garbage. Definitely a lot of body aches and pains on the first night. Definitely following instructions regarding not lying down, I can't anyways because of my lungs. So far, I've been following the instructions regarding no food within 1 and 2 hours of taking my pill, but I've been puking this morning for the first time. Will try with a bit of crackers or toast to see if that helps. I'm annoyed because right now I'm not seeing much improvement for my lungs, but the pills make me feel worse. I will try to persevere, but I have a nagging feeling I have an ER visit in my near future."

• Sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2017

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I am unsure how effective this medication is because I could only tolerate it for 2 days before I told my doctor I was pulling myself off. Taking it on an empty stomach, as prescribed, had me vomiting within an hour and created an instant MASSIVE headache. The kind that has you pressing on part of your head to make sure your brain is still in there. I had to eat a small meal before any doses. It killed my appetite and also made me feel depressed, lethargic, and apathetic. I tried to sleep through the evening doses but would wake up with a terrible headache that would take hours to kick."

• Tas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2019

For Bronchitis "I was prescribed this for bronchitis. And even though it seems to help some with my throat, the side effects are not worth it! I’m on day three and have terrible nausea, the worst I’ve felt. My body feels absolutely horrible every time I take it. The vomiting started this morning. Will not be continuing."

• Sha...
• January 2, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "10-15 minutes after taking this, I got a really bad stomach ache that caused a hot flash like I was gonna pass out. I got nauseous, then threw up for 5 minutes and dry heaved for another 5. For the rest of the day, I had a headache and felt sick to my stomach. I will never take this drug again!"

• CPT...
• April 25, 2020

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "On day 2 of doxycycline. Congestion, vomiting, headache is cleared up. Taking 100 mg every 12 hours for 10 days for upper respiratory infection. Haven’t started my prednisone yet. My sinuses quit bleeding as well."

• Mar...
• May 14, 2016

For Acne "I've been taking this medication for 2 months now. My first month was twice a day, 100 mg, and this month I am taking it once a day, and it really helped my skin clear up. Also, I read a few comments, and a lot of you girls get sick from it, and I did as well, but take it with food! Never on an empty stomach, that will make you feel sick and vomit! Try taking it with food and see if it gets better! I hope this helps, and let me know! Thanks."